Other States - Puducherry   

District Judge offers to conduct Lok Adalat for collecting EB dues

— Photo: C. Venkatachalapathy

on rights: District Judge K.Uthirapathy addressing a gathering at the Law Day celebrations in Puducherry on Sunday.

PUDUCHERRY: District Judge and Member Secretary, Union Territory of Pondicherry Legal Services Authority K. Uthirapathy on Sunday said he has written to the Electricity Department offering to conduct a Lok Adalat to collect dues.

Speaking at the Law Day celebrations, he referred to the department’s recent proposal to raise the tariff. “The Electricity Department was facing administrative difficulties as dues were not being paid. I wrote to them offering to conduct a Lok Adalat to collect the pending payments towards electricity charges. We have the manpower and it can be done free of cost,” he said.

According to the department, payment to the tune of Rs. 50 crore was pending from the Puducherry town, he said. “When somebody has consumed electricity and not paid, why should tariff be increased without collecting the pending amount. The department says the tariff is being increased due to plenty of anomalies/discrepancies in it,” he said.

Referring to promulgation of Section 144 of The Code of Criminal Procedure in parts of Puducherry, he said, “The agenda of Section 144 is garbage in our territory. Garbage has become a serious constitutional issue here. Dumping of garbage in a particular place has raised protests from some quarters.”

Mr. Uthirapathy observed that the method of disposing garbage or evolving a solid waste management project was not given much importance. “People are educated but do not know how to dispose garbage,” he said.

He also spoke on a number of constitutional rights in the country including right to speech, right to profess a religion, right to any trade, right to employment and right to clean life.

Mr. Uthirapathy observed that each right had some obstructions and hindrances in being implemented in the country. Noting that some of the provisions of constitutional rights are not being implemented, he told students, “Extra constitutional authorities have started to function in the country. Unfortunately, support for them is increasing and people are not questioning them. A situation should come in wherein students like you should question them.”

A quiz competition was held for students and public on the occasion. Lecturer at Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College Solomonraja and advocate B. Mohandoss were present.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Police guidelines for internet parlours
District Judge offers to conduct Lok Adalat for collecting EB dues
Training programme on cultural education
“Reconsider extension policy for retiring specialists in health service”
Two-wheeler rental agencies closed
Awareness of violence against women

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu